RAIL USA [Quenched]

KEYOGI · Post by **KEYOGI** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:13 am

I mentioned the legend previously and have been thinking of some alternative options for you guys to try if you feel it warrants the effort.

How about a timetable styled legend or perhaps even tickets? I'm not convinced those ideas would be any better than what you have, I just feel you need a legend that compliments the rest of the map rather than sticks out so noticeably.

DiM · Post by **DiM** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:09 am

i'm not good at greasemonkey scripts but my guess is that the script can be modified to center around the number+letter not just the letter.

wm you can talk to stocksr to see if he can modify the number.

i've actually had a similar problem on AoM because the Reyes coordinates were too close to the margin of the map and that meant triple digit would not fit but in my case it was a 2 second modification.

WidowMakers · Post by **WidowMakers** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:15 am

DiM wrote:i'm not good at greasemonkey scripts but my guess is that the script can be modified to center around the number+letter not just the letter.

wm you can talk to stocksr to see if he can modify the number.

i've actually had a similar problem on AoM because the Reyes coordinates were too close to the margin of the map and that meant triple digit would not fit but in my case it was a 2 second modification.

Wow DiM. I just got done PMing him

As for the new legend Keyogi. I have a couple of ideas and will get them here a soon as I can.

cairnswk · Post by **cairnswk** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:00 am

Guys....all I can say...is absolutely first class points for constructive thinking. GO TO THE TOP OF THE CLASS, DO NOT GO TO JAIL, AND YES COLLECT TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS.

I'm pumped! $\:D/$

gimil · Post by **gimil** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:23 am

cairnswk wrote:I'm pumped! $\:D/$

*takes sherbert*

you ruined it for yourself

cairnswk · Post by **cairnswk** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:29 am

gimil wrote:
cairnswk wrote:I'm pumped! $\:D/$

*takes sherbert*

you ruined it for yourself

Nah Gimil...sherbert is full of "funny stuff"

I is high on the vibes of life...

gimil · Post by **gimil** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:32 am

cairnswk wrote:
gimil wrote:
cairnswk wrote:I'm pumped! $\:D/$

*takes sherbert*

you ruined it for yourself

Nah Gimil...sherbert is full of "funny stuff"

I is high on the vibes of life...

you ruined it for yourself.

*takes vibes of life*

KEYOGI · Post by **KEYOGI** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:50 am

I think perhaps the Heartland Flyer line could use a little colour tweaking. It seems to clash with the California Zephyr colour in DEN.

mibi · Post by **mibi** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:29 am

how does chicago work? do you need New Orleans line do you need the yellow area in the chicago station to get the bonus? also can anyone in the chicago station attack anyone else or can you only go around the circle?

cairnswk · Post by **cairnswk** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 11:13 am

mibi wrote:how does chicago work? do you need New Orleans line do you need the yellow area in the chicago station to get the bonus? also can anyone in the chicago station attack anyone else or can you only go around the circle?

mibi...thanks for your post.

what do the instructions say: "All stations border each other"
so at Chicago, anyone can attack everyone else.
yes, to get that 6 bonus points, you need all of the stations in the "chicago circle"/terminal.

jako · Post by **jako** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:39 pm

i have a question about the stations and terminals, ur saying that any station can attack anyother station, but whta about terminals? adn ar only the terrs with the whole clock tower the terminals?

with this addition of stations being able to attak any other station, it really makes the idea of holding a bonus near impossible as u would have to fort every terr because from what i understand, the little house things ar stations. y not make it so that terminals can attack other terminals but not stations unless bodering. this is will allow for a better chance at holding a rail line bonus but will allow for a way for people to break bonus

AndyDufresne · Post by **AndyDufresne** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 9:06 pm

Hm, just thought I should comment on the Army Coordinate issue.

In most maps up until now, there haven't been very many worries about overlapping armies. In a few maps I've pointed out a few that were a little too close...I think the Middle East REVAMP had an area that needed spacing to allow for three digit army numbers.

Anyways, it is a must that army coordinates not overlap. Army shadows aren't made for 3 digit numbers, but there must be at least ample space for them to exist. This map might need some altering in that respect to keep up the clarity of coordinates.

--Andy

WidowMakers · Post by **WidowMakers** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:07 am

AndyDufresne wrote:Hm, just thought I should comment on the Army Coordinate issue.

In most maps up until now, there haven't been very many worries about overlapping armies. In a few maps I've pointed out a few that were a little too close...I think the Middle East REVAMP had an area that needed spacing to allow for three digit army numbers.

Anyways, it is a must that army coordinates not overlap. Army shadows aren't made for 3 digit numbers, but there must be at least ample space for them to exist. This map might need some altering in that respect to keep up the clarity of coordinates.

--Andy

what about 3 digit colorblind numbers (y165, r234)? These numbers are centered around the letter and the three numbers are to the right. If we are required to make a three digit colorblind number fit in a box, they will be 40 pixels wide each. I can put a gap between the boxes at different stations to allow for the armies to not overlap but do I need to widen them too?

cairnswk · Post by **cairnswk** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:20 pm

jako wrote:i have a question about the stations and terminals, ur saying that any station can attack anyother station, but whta about terminals? adn ar only the terrs with the whole clock tower the terminals?

with this addition of stations being able to attak any other station, it really makes the idea of holding a bonus near impossible as u would have to fort every terr because from what i understand, the little house things ar stations. y not make it so that terminals can attack other terminals but not stations unless bodering. this is will allow for a better chance at holding a rail line bonus but will allow for a way for people to break bonus

Thanks Jako for your post.

Lets say for the sake of keeping the playing field level, that all these buildings in which one can place armies are stations. It is just that some of them in bigger cities are bundled together in "terminal buildings" that have clock towers. Because I want simplicity in this map, I decided that every station could attack every bordering station. Perhaps we need to include that in the instructions and make it clearer.

WidowMakers · Post by **WidowMakers** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:15 pm

Sorry I have been busy. I will update a more clear instruction for the stations. and have bigger army boxes. Hopefully the v10 will be ready for tomorrow of Friday. Sorry I have had lots of non CC stuff going on.

WM

cairnswk · Post by **cairnswk** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 9:16 pm

Comments Anyone?

WidowMakers · Post by **WidowMakers** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:57 pm

Sorry everyone. I had the latest small version with the triple digit armies and lost it. My backup is a t work and tomorrow is Saturday for me. I will try to get an update of the 3 digit armies but the rest of the map will not be updated until Monday.

Basically until I get the armies and map graphics up to date, they only thing I can think of is colors and bonuses to be discussed.

WM

WidowMakers · Post by **WidowMakers** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 1:06 pm

OK Here are 2 maps:
#1 Overall theme and current version
#2 Boxes Edit for 3 digit armies.

PLEASE NOTE:
The colors in #2 are not correct. This is an old version of my file. I adjusted the army boxes only for the boxes that touch. They are now wider and allow the 3 digit numbers to not overlap. On Monday (USA, Michigan) I will have an up to date version with text and layout adjustments

#1 is a new layout but there are still some adjustments that will be in the Monday update.
Please comment on the 2 pictures below.
If no one has any issue with the new boxes (#2), they will be in the update on Monday and we can move on to final bonus, text wording, colors, and layout issues

#1 Current Version for Colors and Bonuses (Ignore Army Boxes):

#2 Adjusted version for larger Army Boxes (Please ignore everything else)

Gabriel · Post by **Gabriel** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 10:01 am

yes this looks like a cool map go for it!!

WidowMakers · Post by **WidowMakers** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:11 pm

OK here is the update V11

CairnsWK wants me to take the perspective out of the gantry above the map so that it is a regular rectangle. Please express you ideas on this.

If there are any other issues with this please let us know. If not I will add these changes to the Large version.

casper · Post by **casper** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:11 am

loving the map as i love trains as well. nice job!!

regarding the perspective on the legend yes i would get rid of it. just doesn't look right. plus the green makes looks more like an interstate highway sign. my suggestion would be to make it look like a train schedule board you'd see at a station (black or dark gray background) with a bitmap/pixel font like this?

overall the map is great! very creative.

cairnswk · Post by **cairnswk** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:35 am

casper wrote:loving the map as i love trains as well. nice job!!

regarding the perspective on the legend yes i would get rid of it. just doesn't look right. plus the green makes looks more like an interstate highway sign. my suggestion would be to make it look like a train schedule board you'd see at a station (black or dark gray background) with a bitmap/pixel font like this?

overall the map is great! very creative.

Casper, thanks for your comments and please drop by anytime with comments like those!!!!

Keredrex · Post by **Keredrex** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:17 pm

OK Don't have time to read the whole thread or search the forum but When and why are triple Number armies inducted in to the map ... and are they possible on all the maps now? and/or any maps that will be built in the future?

Coleman · Post by **Coleman** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:30 pm

You can always have more then 3 digits worth of armies in a territory. I've seen over 1000 before. This isn't something new, I'm not sure why they are showing triple digits here.

WidowMakers · Post by **WidowMakers** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 3:51 pm

Here is a status update on the Rail USA map.
I will be rebuilding the entire legend to be more of an arrival/departure them. The text will be blockier and I will try to imitate the picture below. Thanks to Casper for the suggestion. Plus with this idea, the elimination of perspective and the gantry pole, The small map will have more room to move and help space out the text more.

Unfortunately for you (not me) I will be away on vacation till Sunday and will not be working on it until after that. Please feel free to give any other suggestions.
Once I return I will get these ideas implemented (along with those mentioned above) and give an update V12.

Coleman wrote:You can always have more then 3 digits worth of armies in a territory. I've seen over 1000 before. This isn't something new, I'm not sure why they are showing triple digits here.

We are showing triple digits because there was a concern that when there where more than 99 armies in a box, they would start to overlap. I still do not agree with this design aspect, we should not need to make the boxes bigger for 1% of the games that will even have a single player get into triple digits once. Escalating and build up games have the best chance to get into triple digits and for escalating it only happens when the game is almost over and for build up, SO WHAT.

But it was a suggestion and CairnsWK and I decided to see what it looked like. I have only made the boxes at the stations that touch wider. I don't think the current size is a problem but if people think that they need to get bigger still, we will need to discuss it.

Thanks
WM

RAIL USA [Quenched]

trains

Triple Digit Armies???